Naruto Flower Tales: Tsunade
by Mr. Lee
Summary: A series of Naruto oneshots that involve him, the kunoichis, and flowers. Next up is Tsunade. Title is Beautiful Dreams. Rated T for some fluffiness and angst.


Naruto Flower Tales: Tsunade by Mr. Lee

This fanfiction will be a NarutoxTsunade one-shot

Rated T for some fluffiness and angst

Disclaimer: This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only. The author of this fanfiction does not own Naruto or its characters. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. Any other similarities in this story are purely coincidental.

Authors note: Greetings my loyal fans, fellow authors, great reviewers and dear online friends, Mr. Lee has returned with the next installment of my Naruto Flower Tales series. Before I begin my notes, I want to apologize to all of you, my loyal fans. At this point in time, I'm still experiencing a case of writers block and life curveballs in regards to my fanfiction work (My bout with a serious head cold doesn't help matters either :b.), so you may have to wait a little while longer than usual for my material to appear. But don't worry. I assure all of you that my stories can and will be complete no matter how long it takes, and that I'll always do my best to make my stories enjoyable to all of you as well as to myself. That's a promise I intend to keep. In any case, I'm truly sorry it has taken me so long to write anything lately in the Flower Tales department :(. Still, I thank all of you for the support and for your patience. It means more to me than you know. As I mentioned in my last authors note in Naruto Flower Tales: Hinata, now that I'm done with the kunoichi five, I can now focus on maybe doing the older kunoichis. And the first one shall be none other than the female sannin Tsunade.

Now I know what you're thinking, Naruto and Tsunade?!? Well, I honestly can't blame you for scratching your heads with this unusual pairing. Truth be told, I scratched my head myself when I first came on the site, mainly because Tsunade is 38 years older than Naruto, which makes her old enough to be his mother or grandmother! But when I gave the pairing a chance and started delving deeper into the Naruverse over the years, the pairing didn't seem as strange to me. This is for three reasons. The first is that out of all the males in the Naruverse, Naruto is perhaps the only one to stand up to her and live to tell the tale (I'm sure that if anyone else would call her Granny or old hag, they would be pushing up daisies LMAO XD. Even Jiraiya himself is afraid of her, but that's probably because the beautiful blonde at one time, broke nearly every bone in his body when they were young when she caught him peeping on her.). The second reason is one most people overlook. Tsunade is **the first female** to **give** Naruto affection (The second one being Yuki-hime. The title of **showing** affection to Naruto belongs to Hinata.). That's a title that no other kunoichi in the series can claim. Even though it was just a kiss on the forehead, for someone who has been through as much as Naruto has in his life, this is nothing to scoff at. The third and final reason is a little more obscure. Now even though Tsunade is a grown woman and would **never** even consider Naruto as a romantic interest in the series, at the same time, throughout the Tsunade arc, when she looked at the spiky blonde, she could see Nawaki **and** Dan's faces on numerous occasions. When I saw this and saw the infamous kiss on the forehead (Including the beautiful blonde's blush after said kiss.), I couldn't help but think of the characters Shinji and Misato from the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. Now even though Misato was twice the age of Shinji, she showed a side of herself to the young man she showed no one else, not even Kaji. That fact, combined with that classic kiss she gave him during End of Evangelion showed that despite the age difference, she truly loved Shinji even though a relationship with the young man was impossible. Despite the fact that Tsunade wasn't as intense with her kiss as Misato (Misato gave Shinji a passionate kiss on the lips.), it's been shown throughout the series that she truly cares about Naruto and would gladly give her life for him, just as Misato gave her life for Shinji. Though this is just my personal opinion, if Tsunade was Naruto's age, then I could definitely see them in a relationship. In fact, I think their chemistry in certain aspects of their personality could possibly be equal to or maybe even better than Naruto and Sakura, even though I'm a fan of the pairing. It's just one of the many reasons why I like Naruto with any girl.

Now I've noticed that the NarutoxTsunade romance stories on this site usually involve sex (I only read one or two stories where there was just romance.). I wanted to change that with this story while keeping them in character as much as possible and bringing out the more human side of them (There will be some OOCness, so be prepared.). This story will also have some aspects of my Naruto Flower Tales: Sakura story as well, but it will be a little different. And of course, this story will be an AU one. This story is dedicated to all romantics out there, including you undercover ones (You know who ye be ;).). All Tsunade, Naruto and NarutoxTsunade fans. And to NarutoxTsunade authors S.S Shadow, MrDust, Kindled Chime and any other author I missed whose NarutoxTsunade stories I've read and enjoyed. Alright, it's time for the older kunoichis to shine. I hope you enjoy this tale; it was truly a challenge to write this. Enjoy :)!

_A heart that loves is always young- Greek proverb_

_Since love grows within you, so beauty grows._

_For love is the beauty of the soul- St. Augustine_

**Tsunade- Beautiful Dreams**

Tsunade. One of the legendary sannin. A kunoichi who is known by many names, whether it be the queen of slugs and elixirs, the Hime no Hokages (Princess of the Hokages), or the legendary sucker. A person known for her skills as a healer, warrior, and as a lady of incomparable beauty that defies her age. Still, despite her stellar accomplishments, she is a woman who has suffered and lost much in her life. However, there was one person who brought her out of her despair. A young man she once called stupid, rude and ugly, but ended up becoming more important to her than her own life. That young man was Uzumaki Naruto. Despite the way she treated him when they first met; he sacrificed everything so that she could live. Though he was seriously injured from fighting the snake that Orochimaru summoned, when he saw Kabuto punching and kicking the beautiful blonde and heard her screams and cries of pain as she laid paralyzed from her hemophobia, it gave him the strength to move, and the strength to protect her with everything he had, and it brought him victory over the snake sannin's right hand man. An enemy that Jiraiya said he couldn't beat, an enemy that even the more experienced Shizune couldn't defeat.

It was at that moment that something sparked within the older woman. It was a feeling that she hasn't felt for so many years. A feeling that she last felt when Dan died in front of her. That feeling was love. And that emotion snapped her out of her fear and made her move when the spiky blonde coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground in a lifeless heap. The bet she made with him, the position of the Godaime Hokage, none of that mattered at that point. What mattered was that Naruto had to live, even if protecting him would cause her own death. She didn't want to see another person she loved die, and after Kabuto cut the blood vessels connecting his heart and his chakra vessels, he nearly did. The beautiful blonde's tears started to fall from her eyes while she healed him, fearing that she would fail like she did back then. She screamed in her mind to him as if by telepathy 'Don't die!' numerous times as her tears continued to fall on him along with the green chakra she pumped into him. Kami answered her prayers, and she knew he would live when he reached out and clutched her necklace.

"Told you…I'd win…" Naruto said weakly with a warm smile on his face to her before he went unconscious. Tsunade returned that smile joyfully as she took his hand and held it gently, covering it in a chakra glow. She kept her word to her savior and gave him his prize along with her support of his dream of becoming Hokage to him. But in truth, the woman also gave Naruto her heart along with her cherished heirloom. Unfortunately, she knew that the chance of them ever being together in that fashion was a dream that would never come true. But sometimes, even miracles can happen, even if the miracle is just a beautiful dream that lasts for just a moment.

After the sannin battle, even though the legendary sucker saved Naruto's life, it took him about a week to completely recover from his wounds. He spent most of that recovery sleeping in a bed. Though Tsunade herself had to recover from her injuries from the battle and from her own healing technique, she made it her priority to stay with Naruto and watch over his recovery. She even forced Jiraiya to pay for an extra room so that she could stay with him and that Shizune could sleep in their old room and not stay with the perverted sannin. As the female sannin laid on her bed one night while reading a book in her bathrobe, she sensed Naruto starting to squirm in his sleep, which worried her since he hasn't been conscious since the fight. She got up from her bed and sat next to him. When she looked at his face, she noticed that his eyes were half opened and he was looking at her.

"Tsu…Tsunade-chan…" Naruto mumbled quietly. The beautiful blonde gasped when he heard Naruto call her that. Normally he would hear her call her old hag or Tsunade-baachan (Granny Tsunade) ever since they met. But he never used that suffix before. After taking a moment to compose herself, Tsunade took the young man's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"What wrong Naruto-kun?" Tsunade asked him gently, even though his eyes were still half opened.

"Are you…okay?" He questioned back.

"Yes Naruto-kun. I'm fine now, thanks to you." She answered with a warm smile as she rubbed his hand.

"I'm…glad…" The blonde ninja said with a small smile as he fell back to sleep.

'Even now, he was worried about me…' The legendary sucker thought to herself as she unconsciously continued to rub his hand tenderly as she held it. It was then that she placed her free hand on her face and noticed that it was heating up into a blush and that her heart was pounding in her chest. 'What's wrong with me? He's just a kid, and yet I haven't felt this way since Dan was…' Her mind drifted off as she looked at his young and handsome face. She started to remember Jiraiya saying how much Naruto was like Nawaki. But when she looked at him, she saw both her brother and her former lover in him, and it strangely made her happy. She felt that the young ninja had both of their qualities. 'Nawaki isn't the only one he has a lot in common with. If only I met you while I was still young Naruto-kun. But that's just a dream. A dream that will never come true.' She thought sadly as she let go of his hand. But for some strange reason, the female sannin didn't head back to her bed just yet. She moved her hand to his blonde hair and started to ruffle it softly. Naruto groans happily and leans his head towards her palm. The older woman smiled and ruffles his hair a little more before returning to her bed.

'Heh, I should have my head examined. If Jiraiya or Shizune had seen me do that, I wouldn't hear the end of it.' Tsunade chuckled inwardly as she walked back to her bed. As she and got into bed and turned off the lights, she looked at Naruto's face as the moon shined on it and she beamed, noticing that the look of happiness on his face from her touch still remained as she drifted off to sleep. "Sweet dreams Naruto-kun. Thank you…" She whispered before sleep overtook her.

Unfortunately for the beautiful blonde, her dreams were far from sweet or peaceful. For in her dream, she saw her 'old' self from over a week ago, when she was willing to abandon Konoha completely and sacrifice Jiraiya and Naruto to revive her loved ones. She started to break into a cold sweat and gripped her covers tightly as she saw what might have been had she gave in to her 'weakness'.

_Dream Sequence_

"_Well Tsunade, have you considered my offer?" Orochimaru asked his old teammate._

"_Yes Orochimaru, I accept your offer to heal your arms in exchange for bringing Dan and Nawaki back to life. Here are your two sacrifices." The female sannin said coldly as Naruto and Jiraiya laid side by side, unconscious and tied up with ropes._

"_Kukuku, Excellent. Now, let us begin." He said with a chuckle. The female med-nin walked up to him as green chakra glowed in her hands and covered the snake sannin's arms until he was able to move them once again. "At last, I can move my arms once again! Your last act has been in vain Sarutobi-sensei." He laughed almost maniacally._

"_I've done my part Orochimaru. Now fulfill your promise to me!" She demanded. _

"_As you wish, my old friend…" He said with a wicked smile. With his now healed arms, he made quick hand seals and slammed his hands into the ground, making two coffins rise up from a dark abyss. Once they fully appeared, the coffins opened and shadow hands came out and grabbed the still unconscious toad sannin and his student, dragging them inside. When the two of them were in and the doors of the caskets closed, they rose into the air and started to glow in an eerie black chakra. A minute later, bloodcurdling screams started to come from them. They were the screams of Naruto and Jiraiya. _

_Tsunade tried to close her eyes and cover her ears to block it out, but it was no use. For their screams hit not only her ears, but her soul. A few minutes passed, and the screams finally stopped. It was then that she knew that they were dead. But it didn't matter to her. If she could see her loved ones again, it was worth the sacrifice._

"_The process is complete." Orochimaru suddenly said as the black chakra covering the coffins dissipated and lowered back down onto the ground. It was then that the coffins started to open slowly._

"_Nawaki…Dan!!" The beautiful blonde shouted as tears of joy fell from her eyes. She started to run towards the coffins, but she suddenly stopped and her eyes widened in pure horror when the tops were completely open. Fully opened, she saw the faces of her brother and former lover, but their decomposed flesh was dull, dirty and gray. Their eyes had no color, no life in them. Nawaki's face in particular was scarred and covered in various cuts and bruises, making him look like a barely recognizable patched up doll. In all truths and aspects, they were like the walking dead. _

"_Nawaki? Dan?" She said in a whisper, fearing to even touch them._

"_Neechan, what have you done? How could you betray the people who love you and care about you?" Nawaki asked her in an emotionless, gravelly, and unrecognizable voice._

"_Nawaki…I…" Tsunade replied sadly not knowing what to say._

"_Look at what your selfishness caused Tsunade. I thought you loved us. I thought you loved our home." Dan said in an unrecognizable voice as well._

"_I…I just wanted to touch you both again. To hold you and tell you that I loved you one more time." The female sannin cried as tears started to fall from her eyes._

"_How can you love anyone when you sentenced us to death? My dream was the same as theirs. I believed you would help my friends. And I wanted to help you and save you. That's why I worked so hard to win our bet. I really liked you, but you killed me. How could you…" Naruto said as his head appeared and came out of Nawaki's chest._

"_N-Naruto-kun…I-I didn't know. I'm so sorry." She sobbed with her voice full of guilt and regret._

"_It's too late for apologies and regret Tsunade. Thanks to you, Konoha will be destroyed. The dreams of the ones you love will disappear into dust, their meanings forever forgotten thanks to your betrayal." Jiraiya said as his head appeared and came out of Dan's chest._

"_Jiraiya…" She said somberly._

"_And we're not the only ones who will suffer because of you neechan. Look." Nawaki said as he pointed behind her. The legendary sucker turned around as she saw Kabuto standing over Shizune who lied in a pool of her own blood._

"_Shizune!!" The kunoichi screamed in terror._

"_Tsunade-sama…why did you let this happen? We…believed…in you…" Shizune said lifting up her head and coughing up blood. A moment later, the female med-nin took her last breath and her head fell back to the ground, signaling that she was dead._

"_Shizune…" Tsunade cried as she fell to the ground on her knees._

"_You promised to take care and protect my niece. You killed her. You're a murderer and I hate you Tsunade!" Dan said scornfully._

"_You betrayed our dreams, our home, the people you love, and yourself to make this happen. You're nothing but a traitor. You betrayed us and I hate you neechan!" Nawaki said spitefully._

"_You're a traitor Tsunade!! I trusted you and I hate you!" Jiraiya shouted._

"_You're a murderer you old hag!! You killed me and I hate you!" Naruto bellowed._

"_What have I done?!! I'm so sorry everyone. Please…please forgive me." Tsunade said as she reached out her arms to them as if asking for forgiveness while her tears blurred her vision. But they didn't move. Their faces were filled with nothing but hatred._

"_Why are you so sad, old friend? You should be happy that you got your wish." Orochimaru said with an evil laugh. It was then that Tsunade's face changed from sorrow to anger as she heard his voice._

"_**OROCHIMARU**__!!" She shouted as she stood up and started to run at him. But as soon as she pulled her fist back to punch him, a number of kunai hit her back and legs, one of which hit her deeply in her spine. The kunoichi then fell down onto the ground paralyzed as blood came out of her mouth._

"_To think that you're one of the legendary sannin, truly pathetic. Well at least it was easy to kill your assistant thanks to that injury you gave her." Kabuto said with a chuckle as he walked up to her while adjusting his glasses._

"_I thank you Tsunade for healing my arms. I'm glad that we were able to see each other again. But your services are no longer required." The snake sannin laughed as he pulled out a kunai in each hand, each having a red tag on them. "But just so there are no hard feelings, I'll make sure that your death is quick by allowing the ones you sentenced to death kill you. A fitting end for the legendary sucker." He chuckled as he plunged the weapons with the tags inside them, completely destroying their personalities and turning them into the Sound leader's slaves._

"_Nawaki…Dan…Jiraiya…Naruto-kun…" Tsunade said weakly as the tears mixed in with her blood._

"_Traitor…" Nawaki said in a zombie like voice._

"_Murderer…" Dan said._

"_You don't deserve to live…" Jiraiya said._

"_I hate you…" Naruto said._

"_I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'M SORRY…__**I'M SORRY**__!!" Tsunade screamed at the end as her loved ones stood above her with a kunai in their hand, aiming for her heart. When the weapons started to come down, she woke up and screamed._

_End Dream Sequence_

"**NO!!!**" Tsunade screamed as woke up after experiencing the horrible nightmare. Her body was shaking and covered in a cold sweat while her heart felt it was about to leap out of her chest. She has had many nightmares since leaving Konoha, but to her that dream was the worst she experienced in her life. It was then she felt a soft hand touch her shoulder, making her jump in shock.

"Tsunade-baachan, it's me." The young voice called out in concern. She turned to see Naruto sitting beside her on the side of her bed staring at the kunoichi with a worried look on her face.

"Na-Naruto-kun…" The beautiful blonde whimpered.

"Are you alright? I heard you talking in your sleep and you suddenly screamed." He said to her. Tsunade looked into his cerulean blue eyes as if she was looking into his soul. She could see the warmth in them, and she felt like she was truly looking at him for the first time. It was then that the dream appeared fresh in the female sannin's mind once more, making her feel the guilt of what she nearly done. Her face started to scrunch up and tears began to pour out of her beautiful hazel eyes like a raging river. A moment later she started to sob loudly and wrapped her arms around the spiky blonde, burying her face into his young chest. To say that he was surprised over what she just did would be an understatement. "T-Tsunade-baachan?!" He said in complete shock.

"I'm so sorry Naruto-kun! Please don't hate me! Please don't hate me…" Tsunade shouted hysterically into his chest.

"Huh? W-Why do you think I would hate you?" He asked her softly as he carefully rubbed her back to calm her down. The legendary sucker didn't reply and just increased her embrace on the young man and kept on apologizing saying 'Please don't hate me' like a mantra. Unfortunately for him, the increase of her embrace was starting to have the side effect of causing him great pain due to her super strength. "Tsunade-baachan…you're hurting me…" He groaned as his ribs started to grind together. Hearing his voice and sensing his uncomfortable position, she calmed down slightly and pulled away enough to no longer cause him pain while still holding onto him.

"Sorry Naruto-kun." The beautiful blonde said sadly looking up at him as tears continued to fall from her eyes.

"It's okay. What's wrong Tsunade-baachan? Why are you crying and apologizing to me? Why do you think I hate you?" Naruto asked softly. Tsunade lowered her head for a moment, thinking of a way to explain this to him. She decided to be honest with him and let the cards fall as they may. She told him about the dream she had and what she almost did to him and Jiraiya. "So that's why…" He said in an even tone after hearing the story as he sat next to her on her bed.

"Yes. I was weak and acted like such a fool. If it wasn't for you, if I hadn't met you, I very well might've accepted his offer, regardless of the consequences." The female sannin said in a melancholic voice.

"I think I understand how you feel…" The spiky blonde said with a small smile.

"What do you mean?" She inquired.

"After our fight, Shizune-neechan came to my room and told me what happened to you. This may sound strange, but I kind of envy you. Even though I have friends, the bonds you had with Nawaki and Dan is something I can only dream about since I've been alone for most of my life…" He replied with a hint of sadness at the end.

"Naruto-kun…" Tsunade said while lowering her head.

"We're very much alike. We both know how it feels to be alone. I always wished that someone would just hold me and tell me everything is going to be alright whenever I was sad or when the villagers and my friends hurt me. If I was in your position and had people like that in my life, I probably would have done the same." The spiky blonde said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That may be true, but that doesn't excuse what I did and the way I acted to you back when we first met. I'm really sorry for everything I've done to you Naruto-kun." She said while lifting her head and looking at him straight in the eyes.

"I'm sorry too Tsunade-baachan. I said some things to you I didn't really mean." He said giving her a smile.

"It's alright Naruto-kun. With the things I said about Sarutobi-sensei and the Yondaime, I deserved to be punched in the face." Tsunade said with a light chuckle causing them both to laugh a minute later.

"I don't hate you Tsunade-baachan. I'm glad that you turned that snake down. And…I'm glad that I was able to protect you." Naruto said with a light blush on his face. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, the beautiful blonde started to feel her heart pound and her face heat up like before.

"I am too Naruto-kun. I am too…" The legendary sucker said in a soft voice as her blush deepened. "Naruto-kun, could you close your eyes for a minute?" She requested.

"Okay." He said as he started to close them. Taking a moment to place a hand over her heart, she leaned forward and closed her eyes, giving him a soft and sweet kiss on his forehead. It lasted for less than a minute, but that didn't lessen the feelings behind it. When Naruto felt her lips on his head, his body felt warm and his heart started to soar. To him, it was as if she was kissing him on the lips. It was an experience he never felt before, but hoped that he would feel again. As she pulled away, they both opened their eyes and looked at each other's faces. The look of Naruto's face was of complete astonishment over what she did, while Tsunade had a warm smile on her face. A smile she only gave to someone she truly loved.

"Tsu-Tsunade-baachan, why did you…?" Naruto asked while still recovering from the kiss.

"Well, a lady is supposed to reward her hero for protecting her and saving her life right?" The beautiful blonde said with a grin and a teasing quality in her voice.

"Tsunade-baachan…" Naruto said giving her a warm smile.

"You'll become a fine man Naruto-kun. And a great Hokage." His fellow blonde said happily.

"Do you really think so?" The spiky blonde asked beaming from head to toe.

"I know so. In fact, if I was your age, I'd go out on a date with you." She replied honestly.

"You're just saying that…" He said as he lowered his head slightly.

"Why do you say that?" The legendary sucker questioned with a frown.

"Because even the girl that I like doesn't even notice me. She just thinks that I'm annoying." The spiky blonde said sadly.

"Does she know about what's inside you?" She asked gently in regards to Kyubi.

"No. But she gives all her attention to my other teammate even though he treats her badly, while I would do anything for her. She even said that she hated me once." Naruto answered lowering his head further.

"Naruto-kun…" Tsunade said depressingly. She reached out and took Naruto's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze and rubbing it soothingly. "Why don't you tell me more about this girl that you like?" She asked.

"Sure." He said, feeling a little better. Naruto told her about his time on Team 7 and the people on it for the next hour. They ended sitting up on their beds and drinking tea and talking while in their bathrobes.

"Hmm…it sounds to me that this Sakura doesn't really consider your feelings. But don't feel too bad about it. It's her loss if she doesn't appreciate what you do for her." Tsunade said.

"You're right, but it still hurts." Naruto sighed.

"I know. But you know Naruto; I really was being honest with you earlier." The beautiful blonde said in a warm voice as she took a sip of her tea.

"Really?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, no doubt in my mind. You may be a little loud, but you got courage and a big heart. Any girl would be lucky to be with you." She replied truthfully.

"Thanks Tsunade-chan…" Naruto said a huge smile on his face causing the grown woman to blush. It was then that his eyes widened and he realized his mistake. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't m-mean to call you t-that…" He said frantically hoping she wouldn't hit him or flick him on the forehead for using the suffix. She just laughed and raised her hand shaking her head.

"Calm down Naruto-kun. I don't mind you calling me that. Just make sure you only call me that when we're alone like this. I am going to be the Godaime Hokage when we get back to Konoha." She told him. Truth be told, she was really happy, and a little embarrassed to hear him call her that.

"Phew. Thanks Tsunade-chan." Naruto said in a relieved voice as he wiped the sweat off his brow. "Still, to hear you say that, I kind of wish you were my age." He said in a somewhat somber tone.

'I wish I was too Naruto-kun. More than you'll ever know.' The beautiful blonde thought with an inward bittersweet smile. "It's getting late Naruto-kun, let's get some sleep." She said as she got back into her bed.

"Yeah. Goodnight Tsunade-chan." Naruto said as he got back into his bed.

"Goodnight Naruto-kun." Tsunade said as she turned off the light. But just when she was about to return to sleep, she got out of bed one more time and went over to Naruto's bed. "Naruto-kun?" She called to him softly.

"Hmm…? What's wrong Tsunade-chan?" He asked sitting up rubbing his eyes. Tsunade just smiled at him and pulled the young man into a warm hug, wrapping her arms gently around his back while his face was buried in her robe covered chest.

"Everything's going to be alright Naruto-kun…" She said in a voice that could make even the toughest guy melt. When he heard her words, tears started to sting his eyes and he wrapped his arms around her as best he could.

"You promise?" Naruto asked while choking back a sob.

"I promise…" Tsunade replied with conviction as she increased her embrace. A minute later, he started to cry gently. Even though he knew that he had people that cared for him, it was the first time in his mind that he felt truly loved.

_Late Morning_

As the high morning sun shined into Naruto and Tsunade's room, the beautiful blonde woke up with a large yawn. After talking with Naruto, she slept well for the rest of night. As she wiped her eyes, she noticed that the spiky blonde's bed was made and that he was nowhere to be found.

'He probably went down for breakfast. I guess that means he's feeling better.' Tsunade thought cheerfully as she got up off the bed. But just when she was about to wash herself in the bathroom, she noticed that on her small desk was a beautiful yellow flower with pink spots on the inside that had a small card attached to it. 'Hmm…What's this? It better not be from that perverted teammate of mine or he'll get a knuckle sandwich for lunch.' She said in her mind as she picked up the card and read the words.

_Tsunade-chan,_

_I talked to Shizune-neechan and Ero-Sennin (Perverted Hermit) this morning, and they told me what happened after I was unconscious. So here's your reward from me for protecting me and saving my life. I hope you like it. Thank you for last night. I won't forget your promise to me._

_The future Rokudaime Hokage,_

_Uzumaki Naruto_

After reading the card, Tsunade couldn't help but smile brightly and blush furiously. For the flower that Naruto gave her was an orchid. A yellow orchid that matched the color of her long blonde locks. It was also a flower that Dan use to always give her.

"You're more thoughtful and sensitive than you look Naruto-kun. You will truly be a fine man." The beautiful blonde said out loud as she put the flower to her nose and enjoyed the fragrance. After washing up, she decided to wear it in her hair like she used to when her former love gave it to her. When she headed downstairs, Naruto, Shizune, Tonton and Jiraiya were waiting for her.

"Good morning Tsunade-sama." Shizune said greeting her master.

"Good morning Tsunade-baachan!" Naruto greeted as well in his boisterous tone.

"Good morning everyone!" The legendary sucker said as if she was on cloud nine.

"Wow Tsunade. I haven't seen you this cheerful in years." Jiraiya chuckled.

"I just feel good today. Especially after a special someone gave me this." She said as she pointed to the flower in her hair.

"Is that a yellow orchid? My uncle used to give you those. Who gave it to you Tsunade-sama?" The black haired med-nin asked curiously.

"A very handsome and sweet young man." She answered as she walked over and gave Naruto a peck on the cheek causing his face to turn red.

"So that's what you went to get after breakfast. That was a nice thing to do Naruto-kun." Shizune said happily while Tonton let out an oink in agreement.

"Yeah Naruto, that was pretty smooth of you. You are truly my student. If you need some 'pointers' on how to get women, just ask." The toad sannin said slyly with a perverted giggle as he wrapped a loose arm around Naruto's shoulder. A minute later, he was sent flying courtesy of a trademark super strength punch from a now irritated sannin.

"Don't even think about it Jiraiya. It's because of those 'pointers' that I'll never go out with you again." The female sannin fumed while a vein pulsed on her forehead. "Thanks a lot for the flower Naruto-kun. I'll always treasure it." She said as she turned to the young man and gave him her best smile.

"Ah i-it was n-nothing Tsunade-baachan. D-Do you like it? " The spiky blonde stammered nervously.

"Yes, I love it. It was really thoughtful of you. Thanks again." She replied with a light blush while giving him a warm hug. Naruto simply chuckled and gave her his trademark grin after returning the hug.

"Tsunade-sama, I saved your breakfast for you to eat on the way back to Konoha." Shizune said as she pulled out a wrapped box.

"Thanks Shizune. Let's get going." Tsunade said.

"Right! Time to go home!" Naruto said pumping a fist into the air. The two women nodded and they headed out of the hotel. "Did you really go out with Ero-sennin?" He asked the female sannin curiously as they headed to the door.

"Yes. He asked me out once when we were your age. But it only lasted about five minutes when he recited some perverted poetry to me when he picked me up for our date." The legendary sucker chuckled.

"Figures. And he calls me an idiot." The spiky blonde said. A minute later the three of them were busting out laughing while walking out the door, forgetting about the person they were laughing about as Jiraiya still lay unconscious on the ground.

_A few days later_

While they walked back to Konoha, Tsunade and Naruto talked to each other for the majority of the trip, getting to know each other better. She couldn't believe all that he has gone through when he told him of his life growing up and the things that happened to him, whether they were good or bad. She also kept the flower that the young ninja gave her which symbolizes beauty in her hair as well. It made the feelings of love she was starting to develop for him grow even more. But she made no hint of it, since she knew that expressing those feelings would be inappropriate. After finally making it back to Konoha, they went their separate ways so that they could rest, and decided to meet late in the morning so that she could heal his teammates and Rock Lee. After pressing the yellow orchid and meeting with the council, Tsunade and Naruto, along with Shizune met at Hokage Tower and headed to the hospital. As they walked inside Sasuke's room first, Sakura saw the female sannin and was amazed by her beauty until Naruto came in.

"Sakura-chan, there's no need to worry now! I brought someone who'll help heal him. Sasuke will be all right now." Naruto said confidently.

"Naruto…" Sakura said with a surprised look on her face. Meanwhile, the new Hokage looked at the patient in question and noticed two daffodils inside a simple glass vase.

'Hmm…Those two flowers weren't brought here on the same day. Does she come here every day?" Tsunade thought to herself.

"I heard about you from Guy-sensei. Tsunade-sama, please save Sasuke-kun." The pink haired kunoichi said in an almost pleading voice as she bowed to her.

"Sure, just leave it to me." The female sannin said with a smile. As she went to the head of Sasuke's bed and started to use her psychological healing powers on him, she took a moment to look at Sakura. 'Her gaze on Sasuke is so intense. It's as if she only sees him and him alone.' She said in her mind as the young kunoichi wiped nervous tears from her eyes. A moment later, the raven haired Uchiha was healed and he opened his eyes.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said happily.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said as well as her tears started to flow from her eyes. A moment later she went to him and embraced Sasuke with all her might, completely ignoring the teammate by her side.

"Hey Sasuke…" The spiky blonde started to say until he saw Sakura just holding on to Sasuke as if he would disappear if he let go. At that moment, Naruto felt as if he was farther away from Sakura, now more than ever. But what hurt him the most was that he felt that the girl he loved didn't even know that he existed. He lowered his head and with a pained expression covering his visage, he quietly walked out of the room. However, his exit did not go unnoticed by the beautiful blonde.

'He really does care about her; otherwise he would have said something. Still, she could have at least thanked him.' Tsunade thought as she felt the spiky blonde's pain.

"Hey come on, you're not done…" Naruto said as he stretched out a hand from outside and motioned her to follow him. Even though he was out of the room, she could hear the sadness in his voice.

"I'm coming Naruto-kun. Let's go Shizune." The legendary sucker said with a heavy sigh as they walked out of the room. But before she left, a voice behind her started to speak.

"Tsunade-sama." Sakura called out to her in a hoarse voice after wiping away her tears.

"What is it?" The beautiful blonde asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice as she had her back turned to her.

"Thank you. Thank you for healing Sasuke-kun…" The pink haired kunoichi replied. Normally, Tsunade would appreciate the praise. But appreciation was not on the sannin's mind at that moment after she saw the look on Naruto's face. She turned to the young kunoichi and gave her an angry glare, causing Sakura to flinch and let out a small gasp.

"Don't thank me. The one you should thank just left. Not that you care…" Tsunade growled in a low voice as she left the room, leaving a confused Sakura. As they walked down the hospital corridor, not a word was said between the three of them. Naruto was up front with his head down slightly, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders sagged. It didn't take her medical knowledge to figure out he was still hurt from what happened. The female sannin frowned as she watched him, wishing that she could ease his pain of a broken heart. Hoping to make him feel a little better, she walked up to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Naruto lifted his head to see the Godaime giving him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun…" Tsunade said softly so that only he could hear her.

"Thanks Tsunade-chan…" Naruto whispered while trying to force a grin.

"Are you going to be okay?" She asked with concern.

"I will be…" He replied as he started to walk ahead of them again.

'Naruto-kun…' The Godaime Hokage thought with a melancholic look on her face. She truly wished that she was his age at that moment. She always made sure that her brother and her lover knew that they were important to her. She wanted to comfort him, to kiss him, to fulfill that promise she made that night to him, the vow that everything was going to be alright. But she knew that there was a line she wouldn't and couldn't cross, no matter how much she wanted to. 'Hang in there Naruto-kun. I will keep my promise to you, somehow. Just remember that there is at least one person who truly cares about you.' She said to him in her mind.

_Several days later_

After Sasuke and Kakashi were healed, team seven took some time off in order for the raven haired Uchiha to recuperate from his injuries. At that time, Tsunade was starting to get settled in Konoha after being officially sworn in as the Godaime Hokage. The work of getting the village back to working order was difficult and taxing to the female sannin to say the least. But her thoughts of Naruto always brought a smile to her face, even while doing paperwork, which she despises with a passion.

One day, Tsunade and Shizune was at the front desk getting ready to do their normal rounds, but just as they were about to leave, the front doors swung open and coming through them were Sakura and Kakashi holding a blood soaked Naruto with his orange outfit covered with cuts and gashes. When Tsunade saw the spiky blonde like that, it brought back the memory of her ototo (little brother) and how he looked when the ninjas showed her to him after he died. It made her body grow cold, making her shiver slightly.

"Kakashi, what the hell happened to Naruto?!" The female sannin asked angrily after composing herself.

"I'll explain later Hokage-sama. Naruto is dying and he needs to be treated." Kakashi answered hastily.

"I understand. Shizune, let's hurry!" Tsunade said as she took Naruto from the jonin and started to run into the treatment room with her long time friend and assistant. 'How could this have happened? Whoever did this will pay!' She said in her mind as she looked down at him, his necklace covered with blood. After heading into the treatment room, Tsunade quickly removed his clothes and did a quick analysis. 'Oh Kami, this is bad. There is a rare type of poison in his bloodstream, and it's trying to destroy his immune system. If he isn't operated on quickly to remove the poison, he'll die!' She thought to herself in horror. Wasting no time, she pulled out a pad and wrote down the things she needed to save his life. "Shizune, get these items on this list for me. Tell Kakashi to come in here and call in three of the best med-nins you can find! Hurry!" The Godaime Hokage ordered.

"Yes Tsunade-sama!" Shizune said as she ran out the room. A minute later, the copy ninja came in.

"Kakashi, I want to know what happened to Naruto. Keep it short and to the point." The legendary sucker said with a deadly serious look on her face. Not wasting time, Kakashi began to explain that the blonde ninja was attacked and a kunai was plunged into his heart by a sound ninja assassin while he was passing by the academy playground. After his explanation, Shizune returned with the items her master needed along with the three best med-nins she could acquire in short time. After asking Kakashi to leave, Tsunade started the operation. "Hang in there Naruto-kun. Please…please don't leave me." The female sannin said unconsciously out loud with worry laced in her voice.

"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune said sadly as they started to begin the process to save Naruto's life.

_Two hours later_

After a couple hours of difficult surgery to remove the virulent poison from his wounds, the surgery was considered a success, mainly thanks to Tsunade's healing powers and the regeneration abilities Naruto got from Kyubi. Unfortunately, for some odd reason, Naruto didn't wake up. After the extra med-nins left the room to file their reports, Tsunade, Shizune and Kakashi were left inside to figure out what's wrong.

"Do you think that it's some complications from the poison?" Kakashi asked in regards to his condition.

"I don't think so. It was difficult but we were able to completely remove it. Physically, he's fine. If there were any complications, he would be dead instead of being comatose." Shizune explained.

"Hmm…What do you think Hokage-sama?" The copy ninja inquired as he turned to look at her while she looked at Naruto. She placed her hand on his face and gently caressed his cheek.

"I think his expression says it all Kakashi…" Tsunade said cryptically. The jonin raised an eyebrow as he walked up to the bed along with Shizune to look at the young boy's visage.

"Naruto-kun's face...looks so sad." The Godaime's assistant said.

"You're right. I've never seen such a look of despair on his face before." Kakashi agreed.

"Something must have happened to him before the assassination. Otherwise, he would've waked up." The female sannin deduced.

"How do you know Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked curiously.

"Just a feeling I have. But there is one way to find out." Tsunade answered.

"And what's that Hokage-sama?" The copy ninja questioned.

"I could use my psychological healing abilities to enter into his mind and ask him personally." The legendary sucker responded.

"But Tsunade-sama, what if you accidentally run into where the Kyubi is sealed?" Shizune asked with concern.

"That's why I have you two here. Besides, I'm sure I'll be able to sense his chakra before I encounter him. Kakashi, just in case you sense that the chakra in the air is the fox's, then break the link between us. Shizune, let me borrow some of your chakra so that I'll have some extra protection when I enter into his mind." The beautiful blonde ordered.

"Yes Hokage-sama!" They said in unison. Tsunade then pulled a chair up so that she was lined up next to the spiky blonde's face. Shizune placed her hands on her mentor's shoulders while Kakashi stood next to her with his hitae-ate (Forehead protector) lifted up and his Sharingan (Copy wheel eye) activated. Once everything was ready, the beautiful blonde leaned forward and placed both hands on the side of Naruto's face, covering his cheeks. Her hands started to glow with a white chakra while Shizune began to transfer some of her chakra to her master for protection.

'Don't worry Naruto-kun. Tsunade-chan is coming.' Tsunade said as her eyes began to close and her mind started to enter his.

_Naruto's mind_

"Where am I?" Tsunade said out loud as she suddenly appeared in a place that looked like a sewer labyrinth. 'I don't have time to stand around here, I have to find Naruto.' She thought with conviction. Taking a moment to relax, she concentrated and focused her chakra as a radar so she could bead in on Naruto's chakra signature while avoiding the evil chakra signature of the Kyubi no Yoko (Nine Tailed Demon Fox). "This way…" She said as she started to walk through the labyrinth. The female sannin made many left and right turns around the corners of the maze while getting closer to where Naruto might be. Several minutes later, she made it to a corner of the maze where she saw what looked like sunlight at the end of it. "Well, here goes nothing…" She said with determination as she braced herself and went around the corner into the light.

After taking a moment to adjust her eyes after being blinded for a moment by the sunlight, she looked at her surroundings and couldn't believe where she was. "What the hell? This is the playground of Konoha ninja academy!" The beautiful blonde said in astonishment. She looked up into the orange colored sky and saw that there were dark clouds passing by and the sun was setting.

But that wasn't the only thing that was unusual. She looked down and noticed that her body was now around Naruto's age, her hair only had one ponytail instead of two, and that she was wearing her old genin outfit that was light greenish blue with a pink trim. "Great. Now I'm a twelve year old genin again! What is this place?!" She said, noticing that her voice was now lighter and younger like it was back then. She didn't get a chance to think about her voice change when she heard sobbing coming from somewhere. "Someone is crying. Where is it coming from?" She asked as she started to walk into the playground until she reached a large tree. At the tree, she saw a little boy with small spiky hair on a lone swing crying softly as his tears fell down onto the ground. He was wearing a little black t-shirt and a pair of orange shorts. Tsunade immediately recognized who it was. His head was lowered, so he didn't notice the now 'young' Tsunade slowly walking up to him.

"Naruto-kun, is that you?" Tsunade asked softly, yet cautiously. The young boy raised his head and looked at her with a scared expression.

"S-stay away! Please d-don't hurt m-me. Just l-leave me a-alone." The little Naruto stuttered in fear as he covered his face with his hands and continued to cry.

"Please don't be scared Naruto-kun. It's me, Tsunade-chan. You know that I won't hurt you." The female sannin said in a gentle tone in order to calm him down.

"R-really? You're n-not mad with me? Y-you don't want to hurt me?" He sniffled in a tiny voice as he slowly removed his hands from his face.

"I would never hurt you Naruto-kun. I just want to talk to you. Can I sit with you on your swing?" She requested with a smile. The little boy looked at her for a few minutes as if he was deciding if he could trust her. Noticing her warm smile, all the doubts of her sincerity was instantly removed.

"O-okay…" Naruto said as he wiped the tears from his face with his little arm and moved so that Tsunade could sit with him.

"Thank you Naruto-kun." The legendary sucker said as she slowly walked up to the swing and sat next to him. 'Hmm…This playground and swing must be some kind of sanctuary inside Naruto's mind. He must come here whenever he feels sad or hurt.' She deduced as she settled herself on the swing.

"You look beautiful Tsunade-chan." The little boy complimented with a small smile.

"You're very sweet Naruto-kun." She said with a light blush as she ruffled his hair a little causing him to giggle. "Now why don't you tell Tsunade-chan what's wrong. Why were you crying?" She asked in a sensitive voice. The smile that the little Naruto had disappeared and he lowered his head as he started to cry again softly.

"Because nobody loves me…" Naruto replied sadly.

"Why do you say that?" Tsunade questioned with a frown.

"A girl that I care about hates me. She was my first friend, but she started being really mean to me. And then she said I should disappear." The spiky blonde sobbed as he started to cry harder.

"What?! What kind of person would say such a cruel thing?" The female sannin asked angrily. The boy looked at her and sniffed as he pointed his finger to the side as if to show her something. The female sannin turned her head to the direction that he was pointing. She saw another young Naruto wearing a white t-shirt and orange pants and a young Sakura wearing a black t-shirt with an orange spiral and blue jeans appear. "Is that Sakura?" She asked.

"Uh huh. She was getting picked on by bullies. But I saved her and gave her my shirt because her shirt was dirty from the mud pies." He explained as a part of the past scene played out for his swing mate.

"_**Naruto-kun, do you want to be my friend?" Sakura asked happily.**_

_**Naruto face became red at her question. "I-I would like that Sakura-chan." He stuttered in embarrassment.**_

"_**Really, do you promise?" The girl squealed as she held out her pinky. With a smile of joy on his face, he held out his pinky and linked it with the girl.**_

"_**I promise Sakura-chan! I will always be here for you." He said seriously yet happily. After they unlinked fingers, Sakura hugged him tightly which Naruto gladly returned.**_

"After we became friends that day, I went to her house that day and gave her a flower. Then she said something to me that no one had ever said to me before." Naruto continued as another scene appeared, showing the inside of Sakura's house.

"_**Naruto-kun, this flower is so beautiful!" Sakura said cheerfully as she looked at the pink flower with red spots that was inside a gift box.**_

"_**Do you really like it?" Naruto asked with hope.**_

"_**Uh-huh. Thank you very much." Sakura said softly with a flushed face. She gave the flower to her mother and walked over to Naruto pulling him into a warm hug and kissing his cheek. "You're the best Naruto-kun! I love you." The pink haired girl said happily.**_

"_**I-I love you too Sakura-chan." The blonde boy sniffled a bit as tears of joy stung his eyes.**_

"Was she the first person to say that to you?" Tsunade asked. The young boy just nodded silently.

"I was so happy when she said that to me. I thought she really did love me and that she wanted to be my friend. But a little over a week later, everything changed." Naruto said as another vision appeared showing the playground.

"_**Hi Sakura-chan!" The young Naruto shouted joyfully as he ran towards her while she was walking with Ino and a number of other girls. Unfortunately, the look on the pink haired girl's face was not happiness, but annoyance.**_

"_**What do you want Naruto?" Sakura asked with a cold tone in her voice as she removed the suffix from his name. The little boy was surprised at the sound of his friend's voice, but he didn't show it at first.**_

"_**I wanted to know if you could come and play ninja games today." He said softly with a light blush on his face.**_

"_**Why would Sakura want to play with the number one class baka?" Ino said while pointing a finger and laughing at him.**_

"_**Yeah! Sakura doesn't want to play ninja games with a baka like you, right Sakura?" A girl in the group asked as the girls turned to her.**_

"_**That's right! Why don't you just go and play by yourself and just leave me alone?" The pink haired girl said callously making the young boy frown.**_

"_**But Sakura-chan, I-I thought you were my f-friend. Y-you said that you l-loved me…" Naruto stuttered as if he was about to cry. A minute later, all the girls started to laugh at him as if he was joking, Sakura included.**_

"_**Why would I want to be friends with you Naruto? You're nothing but an annoying freak!" Sakura shouted as she picked up a mud pie and threw it into his face. A minute later all the girls started to throw mud pies at him singing "Naruto's-a-freak." A few minutes later, the blonde boy was on the ground, covered head to toe with mud.**_

"_**Ooh! Girls look! There's Sasuke-kun!" Ino yelled as the young Uchiha boy was walking out.**_

"_**Oh no! All of our hands are dirty! Let's head to the fountain and wash our hands so we can walk home with Sasuke-kun!" Sakura suggested.**_

"_**Yeah!" The other girls said in agreement as they ran to the fountain, completely ignoring the person they just pummeled with mud. As the girls were running away, Naruto slowly stood up and looked at the back of the girl that was his first friend his age. A girl who was the first person who said she loved him, but who ended up hurting and betraying him.**_

"_**Sakura-chan…" Naruto whimpered as large tears started to fall from his eyes. Lowering his head, he sobbed loudly as he ran all the way home.**_

"How cruel…" Tsunade said as she started to cry out of compassion for him. Even though she talked to Naruto about Sakura before, he never revealed this before. Naruto then started to cry too as the female sannin felt an agonizing chill course through her body, making her shiver. 'What is this powerful, hurtful feeling I'm having? Is this Naruto's pain I'm experiencing?' She thought to herself as she hugged herself. It was a pain that made the sorrow she experienced in her 51 years of life pale in comparison. "If she did something so terrible to you, then why do you still care about her?" She asked confusedly as she wiped her tears.

"Because…I promised I would always be there for her." Naruto replied. The female sannin couldn't help but smile at his answer.

"You were a good man to honor that promise you made to her, but she never honored that promise. You don't have to be bound to it if she treats you like that." She explained to him.

"But I never go back on my word Tsunade-chan." He said.

"You didn't go back on your word Naruto-kun. Sakura went back on hers when she stopped being your friend and did that horrible thing to you. She broke your promise to you." She said.

"You're right Tsunade-chan. But I still care about her, even if she hates me and thinks I'm annoying." The blonde boy said with a sad smile.

"Naruto-kun…" Tsunade said somberly. Letting out a small sigh, she nodded her head in understanding. 'A man never takes back his words. You are much too pure for this world Naruto-kun.' She thought. "Was she the one who said that you should disappear?" She inquired, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah…" Naruto replied as a vision started to appear once more, showing her what happened to him this morning.

"_**Sasuke-kun is the only guy I'll ever allow to call me his girl, you got that you baka?!" Sakura said angrily as she looked down at Naruto as he laid sprawled on the ground courtesy of a punch from the pink haired kunoichi.**_

"_**I wish that you would look at me the way you look at him." Naruto mumbled with pain in his voice as he looked at a crushed flower he was going to give her, but ended up being stepped on by the receiver.**_

"_**Ha! As if I would Naruto!" She spat coldly.**_

"_**At one time you did." He retorted quietly while his bangs covered his eyes.**_

"_**What? I have never looked at you that way and you know it!" She replied as her temper started to rise once again. Naruto lowered his head as his friends, the Konohamaru corps, looked at him sadly.**_

"_**So you did forget…" The spiky blonde said depressingly.**_

"_**Damn it Naruto, you dobe (dead last) baka, you are so annoying! SOMETIMES I WISH THAT YOU WOULD JUST DISAPPEAR!!" The pink haired kunoichi shouted. Naruto felt as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest and stepped on when he heard those words. It made his mind and his heart go back to that day long ago when she first broke his heart and ended their week old childhood friendship. Without uttering a word, he turned away from the girl he loved and started to run away with tears falling all over his face, just like he did back then.**_

"And that's why you ran into the playground." Tsunade said remembering the report that Kakashi gave.

"Uh-huh. Whenever I'm sad or lonely, I always go to the playground and stay here on my swing. It's the only place I feel safe, where no one would hurt me." Naruto told her. "I was really sad when Sakura-chan said that to me. I didn't even sense that ninja attacking me until it was too late." He added.

"Is that why you don't want to wake up Naruto-kun? Because you're afraid of being hurt and alone? You're afraid that no one will love you?" Tsunade asked sensitively.

"Yes. I know that I have people who care about me, like Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Shizune-neechan and you. But…" Naruto hesitated.

"You think that we'll hurt and betray you like Sakura did." The female sannin finished.

"Uh-huh. I've been hurt so much, by so many people. Not only by Sakura-chan, but by the villagers and the people I care about. I want to be happy Tsunade-chan. I want to be loved. I don't want to feel this pain and sadness. I don't want to be hated anymore…" He mumbled as he started to sob once again while he wrapped his arms around her. The legendary sucker felt the pain that Naruto was exuding once more and it tore her apart to see how much he has suffered from the people around him.

"Oh Naruto-kun…" Tsunade cried as she returned the embrace gently, but fiercely while she began to cry as well. They held each other for a few minutes before the beautiful blonde decided to help ease his pain, if only by a little. "Naruto-kun, can I tell you a secret?" She asked as she pulled away slightly.

"Uh-huh. What is it Tsunade-chan?" Naruto asked with curiosity. She smiled and leaned forward, giving him a soft, chaste kiss on the lips. The blonde boy closed his eyes and felt that warmth he felt when she kissed his forehead come back to him once again.

"I love you Naruto-kun." She replied with a flushed face after breaking the kiss.

"You…you really love me Tsunade-chan? You're not just saying that to make me feel better?" He asked with wide eyes, red cheeks and hope in his voice.

"No Naruto-kun, I really do love you. I know I said some mean things to you when we first met. And I…may not be able to be with you because of our difference in age. But I do love you with all my heart. Just like I loved my brother. Just like I loved my Dan. You gave me hope, happiness and my life back again. No matter how much the world and the people in it may hurt you Naruto-kun, just remember that along with my grandfather's necklace, I gave you my heart. I promised you that everything was going to be alright. And unlike Sakura, I will honor and keep my promise to you, no matter what. I love you Naruto-kun, and I will never betray you." Tsunade said without hesitation as she beamed at him happily. Naruto was completely stunned at the words that came out of the beautiful blonde's mouth. But deep down in his heart, he knew that she was being sincere. The small smile that graced his lips widened and he hugged her tightly. It was at that moment the sky changed to blue and the sun started to shine brightly while the clouds completely disappeared. In addition, the little Naruto hugging Tsunade was covered in a warm glow and replaced with the original thirteen year old Naruto.

After the hug, Naruto finally got off of his swing. Tsunade got off as well as he leaned down and touched the grass. A moment later, a yellow orchid that was the same as the one he gave her appeared. He stood up and held out his hand to give the flower to the beautiful kunoichi. She happily took it, and even though this was just a part of Naruto's mind, she could still smell the fragrance of it.

"Thank you Tsunade-chan. I love you too." Naruto said happily as he leaned forward and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. After the kiss, they both blushed and let out an embarrassing laugh as if they were childhood sweethearts. The young man then took the yellow orchid from her hand and wrapped it into her hair. "Is this how you looked when you were my age?" He asked.

"Yes. Right down to my outfit. Though I was a kind of a brat back then." The beautiful blonde said with a beet red face.

"I guess I made the right choice with the orchid. You really are beautiful Tsunade-chan." The spiky blonde said sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.

"You know that in the real world, I'm just an old woman who hides behind a genjutsu…" She said with a heavy voice.

"Hey, even I'm smart enough to know that real beauty comes from within. As far as I'm concerned, you'll always be beautiful to me Tsunade-chan, inside and out." Naruto said honestly as his cheeks started to heat up.

"Thank you Naruto-kun. I won't forget that." Tsunade said happily as she gave him a loving kiss on the cheek. "Are you ready to go back?" She asked as she reached out her hand after the kiss. The spiky blonde smiled and nodded happily.

"Yeah, let's go back!" He replied cheerfully as he took her hand and held it tight. With a bright smile to each other, they left the playground and headed to the entrance that Tsunade came in as she leaned her head on his shoulder, knowing that once they returned, she would never be able to do so again. It was then that they both were enveloped in a white light.

_The Real World_

As the white light started to disappear, the Godaime Hokage opened her eyes to see that she was back in the hospital and that Shizune and Kakashi were right by her side.

"Welcome back Tsunade-sama." Shizune greeted.

"It's good to be back Shizune." Tsunade said while looking at her with a weary smile. She took a moment to look at herself to make sure that her body didn't receive any changes. 'I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I only changed in that part of Naruto's mind. Still, if I wasn't here right now, I would've thought it was just a beautiful dream.' She thought feeling slightly sad that that moment of her walking with Naruto's hand in hers was so brief.

"How do you feel Hokage-sama?" The copy ninja asked.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." The beautiful blonde replied while stretching her back. "Is Naruto awake?" She asked, realizing she didn't look at him yet.

"I'm here Tsunade-baachan." Naruto answered weakly as he looked at her with sleepy eyes. The female sannin smiled and placed her hand on top of his. "I'm sorry I worried all of you…" He said looking at the three of them while he gave Tsunade's hand a squeeze.

"It's all right Naruto-kun. We're just glad to have you back." Shizune said with a warm smile.

"Is everything alright now?" Kakashi inquired.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. Thanks to Tsunade-baachan." Naruto replied.

"Don't worry Kakashi. He'll make a full recovery. But there is one thing that needs to be done." Tsunade said.

"And what is that Hokage-sama?" The copy ninja asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"You'll find out shortly. Shizune, tell Haruno Sakura to come in here please." The female sannin requested in an even tone.

"Yes Tsunade-sama." The med-nin said in compliance as she left the room. Naruto squeezed Tsunade's hand to get her attention. Once he did, he motioned with his free hand requesting that she lower her head so they can speak privately.

"Tsunade-chan, what are you going to do?" Naruto whispered to her worriedly.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun. I'm just making sure Sakura understands something." Tsunade replied cryptically. Naruto didn't get a chance to question her as Shizune returned with the pink haired kunoichi in tow. Releasing Naruto's hand, the Godaime Hokage stood up from her chair and gave the young girl a stern glare.

"Sakura, come over here please." Tsunade ordered as she went into Kage mode.

"Yes Hokage-sama." Sakura said nervously as she walked up and stood in front of the female sannin.

"I already know the truth Haruno Sakura, but I want you to look me in the eye and tell me in your own words what happened between you and Naruto this morning. And don't lie to me." The beautiful blonde requested from the kunoichi in a hard voice. Sakura's face immediately became pale and she bit her lip.

"I understand Hokage-sama." She said in defeat as Naruto looked away and lowered his head. Everybody remained silent as Sakura explained to the people in the room what happened this morning and the things she did and said to the spiky blonde. After the explanation, both Shizune and Kakashi were shocked, angry and disappointed that she would say such a thing to Naruto. Tsunade said nothing and closed her eyes and took a deep breath for a minute. When she opened her eyes, she looked down at the girl and with the blink of an eye, rewarded the kunoichi with a powerful slap across the face, which made everyone in the room gasp in astonishment.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune yelled before the Godaime Hokage raised a hand to silence her.

"Stay out of this Shizune." Tsunade warned her in a strict voice. "Look at me Sakura." She requested to the young girl who was holding her now swollen red cheek. Sakura looked up at the Hokage with tears stinging her eyes.

"Does it hurt Sakura?" The female sannin asked with a straight face in regards to her cheek.

"Yes…" Sakura whimpered. Tsunade walked up to the young kunoichi while looking down at her ominously, making her step back in fear until she reached the wall.

"Well the pain you're feeling right now pales in comparison to the pain that Naruto has felt today because of you. Even though he got his injuries from a sound assassin, your cruelty to him this morning put him into a coma. Yet despite what you did today, and all the things he has told me you've said and done to him, by the grace of Kami, he still cares about you. But I am not so forgiving young lady. Regardless of your personal feelings towards him, he is a teammate, comrade and friend who's risked his life to save you, protect you, and has always treated you kindly, even though I personally feel you don't deserve it. You will apologize to him **right now**, and this will be the last time I hear of you causing him **any harm**, whether it is physical, mental or emotional. Because if you **ever** hurt Naruto again…" Tsunade said as she raised a finger and slammed it into the wall next to Sakura's head, making a **very large** hole. "You're going to know firsthand what's it's like to be punched **through** walls. **Do you understand me Haruno Sakura?!!**" She asked her in an enraged voice.

"Y-yes Hokage-s-sama…" Sakura muttered in fear as the tears from her eyes finally fell. The female sannin then pointed to Naruto and the kunoichi nodded in understanding. She walked past the Hokage and stood next to Naruto's bed. "Naruto, I'm really sorry for all the pain I caused you today. I have no excuse for the things I said and did to you. I promise I won't ever hurt you again. I hope that you can forgive me." She said sincerely as she bowed to him. Naruto turned to look into his teammates eyes and gave her a sad smile.

"It's going to take time. Is that okay?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Sure. I'll wait as long as it takes." The pink haired kunoichi replied while she nodded.

"Thanks Sakura-chan…" The spiky blonde said nodding back.

"I'm sorry too Naruto. I'll try to be more considerate of your feelings." Kakashi said as he stood next to Sakura.

"Thanks Kakashi-sensei…" He said giving them both a grin. His teammates gave him a smile and walked out of the room.

"I'll go see if I can get this wall patched up before the end of the day." Shizune said as she quietly walked out, leaving the beautiful blonde and her patient alone. Tsunade sat back down at the chair she was in and gave the spiky blonde an amiable smile.

"Is this okay Naruto-kun?" Tsunade asked him in regards to what happened.

"Yeah, but that slap was kind of harsh Tsunade-chan." Naruto replied truthfully as he remembered that flick to his forehead when they fought.

"Don't worry, I held back on the slap. By the morning, her cheek will be healed." The female sannin said nonchalantly.

"Thank you for all you did today." The spiky blonde said.

"It's the least I can do for someone I love…" She said with a light blush on her face as she gave his hand a squeeze. It was then that Naruto lowered his head. "What's wrong Naruto-kun?" She asked with worry.

"I was thinking about what happened between us in my head. It felt like a dream, but I wish that it was real." He replied sadly.

"I know. I feel the same way. But this is the real world, Naruto-kun. As much as we want what happened to be real, there are lines between us that we just can't cross." Tsunade said in a somber tone.

"You're right Tsunade-chan. But I still wish it was real." Naruto said depressingly. Tsunade stood up suddenly and made a hand seal.

"Henge (Transform)!" The female sannin said as smoke surrounded her and she appeared as her young self wearing her genin outfit. She sat down next to him on the bed and cupped his face with her hands. Without hesitation, she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, holding nothing back. It wasn't anything extreme, but it didn't lessen the love that was in it. Naruto was surprised, but soon closed his eyes and held her waist gently while pulling her close. A minute later, they broke the romantic kiss and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Naruto-kun, this is just an illusion, a fleeting moment that will never happen again. But the feeling of my lips to yours was real. Don't forget that, and don't forget I love you." She said softly in her young voice as she looked up at him.

"I won't forget Tsunade-chan. I love you too…" Naruto said with a warm smile. They held each other a little while longer until they pulled away, for fear that they would never let each other go. Tsunade got off the bed and dispelled the transformation, returning to her original self.

"Get some rest Naruto-kun. I'll ask a nurse to bring you something to eat." The female sannin said.

"Can you get me some miso ramen with pork?" The spiky blonde asked as his face lighted up.

"Don't push your luck **brat**." Tsunade replied with mock anger in her voice as she gave him a playful flick on the forehead.

"Humph. You're no fun at all **old hag**." Naruto retorted in mock anger as well. They chuckled and just smiled at each other without saying a word for a minute until the Godaime Hokage walked to the door. "Tsunade-chan." He called out to her as she opened it.

"What is it Naruto-kun?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Never say never. I won't be a kid forever." Naruto said with a confident smile.

"Hmm…you're right. Anything is possible, when love is involved." Tsunade said as she returned his smile while closing the door.

_Epilogue-Ten years later_

"And that's the report from the ANBU patrolling the village Hokage-sama." A female jonin said as she read from a file.

"Thanks Sakura-chan. Since all the work is done for today, take the rest of the day off and spend it with Sasuke." The Rokudaime Hokage said.

"Thank you Naruto. I appreciate it." Sakura said as she put the file on his desk and started to walk out. "Naruto?" She called out.

"What is it Sakura-chan?" He questioned as he removed his Kage hat.

"I just wanted to say thank you for all that you've done for me over the years. You eventually forgave me after that incident with the sound ninja. You asked Tsunade-sama to train me after she refused. And you brought Sasuke-kun back and helped him atone for his crimes against us and Konoha. I'm forever in your debt." The kunoichi said as she bowed to him.

"There's no need to thank me Sakura-chan." He said as he walked to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes there is. I was so cruel and horrible to you back then. If Tsunade-sama hadn't slapped some sense into me, I probably would have kept on hurting someone who's done so much for me. I just want you to know that as your assistant, comrade and most importantly your best friend, I thank you from the bottom of my heart." Sakura said as she leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I hope I don't have to kick your butt for kissing my fiancé Sakura." A young voice said behind the two of them. Naruto and Sakura turned around to see a beautiful, voluptuous young woman with blonde hair and a ponytail. She was wearing a white shirt which showed some of her cleavage, along with a red magenta skirt. She had open ninja sandals and an open blue jacket.

"Take it easy koibito (lover, sweetheart). You know that Sakura-chan and I are just friends and that she's engaged to Sasuke." Naruto laughed as Sakura moved away with a blush on her face.

"I know that koishii (beloved). Just making sure my former student knows her place." The blonde woman chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura said as her faced became redder from embarrassment.

"Relax Sakura. I was only kidding. Besides, if it wasn't for your help in my creation of the Sensui no Seinen Erikushia (Fountain of Youth Elixir), I wouldn't be the sexy 23 year old I am now." Tsunade said as he gave Naruto a quick kiss on the lips.

"I had a great teacher. Besides, it's the least I could do for Naruto. If anybody deserves to be happy, it's him." The med-nin said happily.

"Thanks Sakura-chan." The spiky blonde said with a smile.

"It's my pleasure Naruto-sama. I'll see you tomorrow!" Sakura said as she did a quick bow and left the office.

"Well, looks like we're finally alone Naruto-**sama**…" The female sannin said sensuously.

"Looks that way Tsunade-**hime**…" Naruto said as he pulled her closer into his embrace.

"Is everything ready for tonight?" Tsunade asked.

"Yeah, our reservation for a candlelight dinner for two at the most exclusive restaurant in Konoha is ready. We got an hour's time before we have to be there." He answered as his fingertips caressed her blonde locks.

"I expect no less from the man who surpassed me, and who'll soon be my husband." She said while nuzzling his chest.

"Want to take a romantic walk through the park until then Tsunade-chan?" Naruto asked his future wife.

"I'll go anywhere with you Naruto-kun." Tsunade replied as she nuzzled deeper into his chest. The spiky blonde smiled as he released his embrace and put away his Kage hat and robes. After putting on his black jacket, Tsunade wrapped her arms around his and started to leave the office. "Koishii?" The beautiful blonde called while looking up to him.

"Yes Koibito?" Naruto asked softly.

"Is all of this just a dream?" She asked as her hazel eyes were fixated on his cerulean blues. The Rokudaime Hokage just smiled and reached into his jacket with his free hand, pulling out a yellow orchid. He wrapped the orchid in her hair and captured her lips in a deep kiss making the now young sannin release a soft moan.

"Yes Tsunade-chan, this is a beautiful dream. A beautiful dream that's real. As real as my lips to yours." Naruto replied after breaking the kiss.

"Then let us continue to dream this beautiful dream together, forever." Tsunade said as she held on tightly to her fiancé and left the Hokage office.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Naruto said joyfully as he closed the door to his office, happy in the knowledge that all their dreams, even the ones that seemed impossible to reach once upon a time, came true.

Authors note 2: Phew :b. Talk about a long one shot. This Flower Tale is even longer than Sakura's! Still, I hope that you like this one I did with the female sannin and our favorite unpredictable hero (You can do a fluffy story with Tsunade without having to put a lemon in it LMAO XD.). As always, I did the best I could with what came to mind. Just remember that I told you that this story is AU (Alternate Universe) and that there would be some OOCness. In any case, I hope this makes up for the three month plus delay in my Naruto Flower Tales series. I'll try not to take so long with my next one. You know how life is :).

But enough about me. It's time for you, my loyal fans, to do what you do best. Read, Enjoy, and as always, Review. The next flower tale I'm thinking of doing is the snake mistress Anko. But who knows? I may just get some inspiration for another kunoichi. Anything is possible. To those who have Pm'ed and e-mailed me with your requests, don't fret. I haven't forgotten you my friends (You know who ye be ;).). If I get some inspiration and a good base for a story for that kunoichi, then I'll get cracking. And of course, if I receive it from one of you romance fans, then like with my Naruto Flower Tales: Hinata, I'll give credit where credit is due.

Finally, I like to give a shout out to all the authors out there who put their hearts and souls into their fics while still enjoying it and not taking them too seriously (Sometimes life is too serious to be taken seriously ;).). We all have our own styles when it comes to our fics and not all of us are trying to win Pulitzer prizes (I do respect those that are trying though. I wish you authors the best.). I'm one of those authors. I write my stories because I enjoy writing and I like it when you, my loyal reviewers, fans, fellow authors and dear friends, enjoy it as well. I'm far from perfect and I do make some mistakes along the way. But if all of you take the time to read, enjoy and review them, then I'm content I did well, even if I never write a book. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your support, understanding and patience since I became an author on this site. Your thoughts and feelings will always be important to me, even if I don't get a chance to speak to all of you. Until next time, romance fans. Later :)!


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